Micah or the end of Magic. Chapter 9.

Chapter 9.

 

Explaining the Jewel.

 

Micah jumped to his feet. “I need to go to that other world.”

“Sit down,” snapped Calizone, pointing a bony finger at him.

He sat.

“You are not going anywhere until we have dealt with this jewel,” she said. “You seem to be the only person who can touch the thing, so you will have to help me. The safest place for that jewel is in that box, with the dragons. They will not open it, and no one will ever be able to use it again.”

“But what is it?” Micah asked. “Why does it need to be hidden away like that?”

“I will try to explain,” said Calizone. “The jewel is only half of a spell. The other half is a special paste that must be spread on the creature the old witch wanted to exchange bodies with. I think the heat from the fire damaged the jewel. Now it sucks in as much magic as it can when it is out in the open, and tries to put it into you, Micah.”

“Why me?” Micah asked.

“Because you found it. The jewel thinks you are its owner,” Calizone said. “I am guessing some of this, you understand. But once the jewel filled itself with magic, it tried to force that magic into you. That was the ‘hand’ you felt on your chest.”

Micah nodded slowly.

“As you are the opposite of a magic‑user, the magic could not go into you,” Calizone continued. “So, it was destroyed. If you had kept using the jewel, eventually all the magic in the world would have gone.”

Calizone looked grim.

“Would it really matter if all the magic disappeared?” Grace asked.

“Of course it would,” Calizone snapped. She sighed. “If you let me continue, I will explain.”

Grace sniffed. “Sorry.”

Calizone glared. “Do not try my patience.” She paced the room, then returned to the table. “Listen carefully.”

They listened.

“This world needs magic as people need air. Without it, the dragons, the wraiths, the Ice Queen, the Fire Demon, and I would not exist. Even Grace and her people would not work without it. I suppose the world could manage without them, but there is something far more important.

“The gateway between the worlds, the one your ancestors found, is not far from here. That gateway is kept closed by magic. It must be kept shut, or both worlds would be destroyed. There are guards who live near the gate. Their job is to make sure no one goes through.”

“Why?” Micah blurted.

“Be quiet while I am explaining,” Calizone snapped.

“Many, many years ago, there were two evil beings in this world. They wanted to destroy all life. Wherever they went, everything died, even the tiny creatures in the soil.

“Fortunately, the first Witch of the Dark Forest, Alphaz, discovered the gap between the worlds. In the other world, there were two evil beings as well. Somehow she learned that these creatures had less power if they were brought out of their own world. As Grace’s ancestors discovered, crossing between worlds changes things.

“Since then, both sets of evil beings have tried to return to their own world. The magic of the gate stops them. If that magic goes, those evil things will be free. They would destroy all life here, and in the other world too.”

Micah’s voice trembled. “I didn’t mean to destroy magic. I just wanted to do magic myself. I thought that by using the jewel to remove the spells Magalan put on the villages, I was helping.”

Calizone nodded. “I believe you.” Then she laughed. “Actually, you have done very well in some ways.”

Micah frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Each time you undid one of Magalan’s spells, it caused her a great deal of pain,” Calizone said. “She deserved every bit of it.”

The cottage door opened and Josiah came in, beaming. “I’ve just had the most fascinating chat with a real live dragon,” he said. “Who would believe it?”

“Das is a good storyteller,” Calizone said.

Grace giggled. “My husband making friends with a dragon. I never saw that in your fortune.”

Micah sat at the table and put his head in his hands. “It’s over, then. If the gateway is closed by magic, how can I go through it and be changed? What happens to me now?”

Calizone nodded. “Part of it is over, yes. But you have saved this world from a great deal of trouble. If you had not found the jewel, someone else might have, and done far worse. And you made it possible for the people driven out by Magalan to return home.”

“But all I ever wanted was to do magic,” Micah said sadly. “And now it seems that will never happen.”

“That may not be true,” Calizone said slowly. “When the first witch went through the gate into the other world, she lost her magic. But when she returned, her powers came back. I wonder what would happen if you went through the gate. Your anti‑magic might change so that you could do magic.”

Micah looked up. “You think so?”

Calizone shrugged. “There is only one way to find out.”

“But you said the gate is closed by magic,” Micah said. “And guarded. And that it cannot be opened.”

Calizone shook her head. “Do not be impatient. Magic keeps the gate closed, but magic can also open it.

“We must remember that there must be balance between the worlds. As far as we know, if something goes in from this side, something must come out from the other. And if you did go through the gate, you would never be able to return without losing your magic, if you gained it.”

Micah nodded. “I understand. If that is the only way, then that is what I must do.”

He gave a rueful grin. “It’s not as if I have many friends or family in this world. And I certainly don’t want to go back to pig‑herding in Sowton.”

“We can but try,” said Calizone. She waved her hand and muttered strange‑sounding words. “That will stop anyone taking notice of us when we reach the gate.”

She led them along a narrow path until they reached a row of cottages. She put a finger to her lips.

“Make no noise and no sudden movements. The people in the cottages will not see or hear us.”

“Are we invisible?” Grace whispered.

Calizone shook her head. “No. The spell simply makes people ignore us.”

She glanced around, frowning. “There should be people here. But the place looks deserted.”

“From the state of the cottages, no one has lived here for quite some time,” Josiah said.

Grace peered into one of the open doorways. “It’s completely empty. Even the furniture is gone.”

“I haven’t been down here for a while,” Calizone said angrily. “I’ve been too busy dealing with Magalan. Even so, the people here knew their duty. They should not have left. They will suffer for it.”

She stood still for a moment, mastering her temper. “That is a problem for another time. Right now, Micah is more important.”

She led them past the cottages to a line of trees. Set into the hedge was a wooden door.

Calizone pointed at it and muttered more strange words.

“That is the magic protecting the gate undone. But the gate itself is magic, so I cannot touch it.” She turned to Micah. “You want to go into the other world ,  so you must open it.”

Micah swallowed. “Do you know what’s on the other side?”

“No,” said Calizone. “But I expect there are guards there, just as there should be here. They may be friendly, they may not. Now hurry, the ignore‑spell will wear off soon, and I doubt it will work twice in one day.”

Micah pushed the gate. It swung open just enough for him to slip through.

“Goodbye,” said Grace softly.

“Good luck,” said Josiah.

The gate closed behind him. Calizone pointed at it again and murmured more words.

“We wait now,” she said. “Something must come through to keep the worlds equal.”

They waited. It felt like an eternity.

Then the gate opened again.

Micah stepped through, beaming. “It worked! In the other world, I can do magic.”

“But nothing came through to keep the balance,” Calizone said. “Something should have.”

Micah was too excited to notice her worry. “There’s a set of houses on the other side, where the gate‑guards live. When I came through, an old man tried to throw a sack over me. It took some fast talking,  and a bit of magic, to convince him I wasn’t dangerous.”

“I don’t understand why you weren’t thrown out,” Calizone said. “Grace’s ancestors only stayed because the deer came through.”

Micah nodded. “That’s what the old man expected too. But it didn’t happen. And we think we know why.”

He turned to Grace. “When you tried to scry me, you said I was invisible.”

Grace nodded.

“If I’m invisible to your magic,” Micah said, “then I’m invisible to the magic of the gate. I can go back and forth without upsetting the balance.”

Calizone considered this. “I suppose that is possible. So, what will you do now?”

“I can do magic in the other world, but not in this one,” Micah said. “So, I’m going back. It’s very different over there. And… the evil beings Alphaz sent through have been seen near the gate. The old man thinks they can sense there are no guards on this side. The evil things from his world must be close too. He’s very worried.”

“So am I,” said Calizone. “It will be dealt with.”

Micah bowed his head. “Then… thank you. And farewell.”

He stepped through the gate again.

Calizone muttered the sealing spell. “That is the magic back on the gate. Hopefully it will keep the evil ones where they belong.”

She led Grace and Josiah back to her cottage. They collected their horse and prepared to leave.

Grace sighed. “It’s been wonderful to see where my ancestors came from.”

Calizone shrugged. “Your people came through that gap a very long time ago , long before the first witch put the gate in the hedge and set guards to watch it. As Micah said, the world on the other side is very different now.”

Grace nodded. “At least I know that part of the story is true.”

“Will the magic Micah destroyed ever come back?” Josiah asked.

“I certainly hope so,” said Calizone. “Some of it has ,  or I wouldn’t have been able to open the gate. And if Das can fly again, then the magic must have returned in full.”

“Ooh!” Grace said. “Do you think Das would mind if I looked at him? I’ve never seen a dragon.”

“There’s only one way to find out,” said Calizone. “And I think you’ve earned a reward.”

She led them into the woods, where Das was resting.

“I think the magic problem is solved,” she told him. “The man who was destroying it has gone to the other world.”

“Is he able to do magic there?” Das asked.

“Yes,” said Calizone. “I wonder how long it will take him to learn that the more magic one has, the harder it is to use.”

“A dangerous gift,” Das agreed. “Now, if you don’t mind, I will take this box back to the Islands and give the Queen the good news.”

“Remember,  the box must never be opened or removed from dragon safekeeping,” Calizone warned.

They watched as Das lifted into the air and flew away.

“It looks as if all the magic has come back,” Grace said.

Calizone nodded. “It does look that way. Now I have many things to attend to, so I think it is time you were on your way.”

Grace and Josiah returned to the cottage, climbed into their wagon, and drove off.

That evening, Jek arrived.

Calizone explained everything. “You may return to your people,” she said. “There should be no more fading away.”

“That is good news,” said Jek. “My people will be pleased. And I can tell them we have brothers in the mountains, as we once did long ago.”

Calizone nodded. “Perhaps one day, when this Magalan business is over, you may go to the mountains yourself.”

“Perhaps,” said Jek.

Calizone watched him disappear into the trees.

“Now to deal with Magalan,  and find those guards,” she said to the cat.

The cat did not reply.